Country acts Willie Nelson, GEORGE STRAIT and the Dixie Chicks raised more than $500,000 (£313,000) for victims of the Texas wildfires at a concert on Monday (17Oct11).Christopher Cross, the Avett Brothers and Asleep at the Wheel also took the stage to perform at the fundraising gig, held at the University of Texas at Austin campus. Dixie Chicks star and Texas native Natalie Maines was thrilled to take part in the event, telling the crowd, "When they called us to do this show, there was zero hesitation. You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl." And Nelson, who has previously lost homes to fire, told the Associated Press before the show, "You never really get over it. There's nothing I can tell them to make it better except some of us have been there and done that and we survived it, and they will too. Be strong." A blaze in Texas in September (11) destroyed at least 1,500 homes and claimed two lives.